A new Tufts building is sporting an old-fashioned look - and that's exactly what the contractors who renovated it wanted.
Located at 80 George St., the former Lorin Low Dame School now houses around 175 administrators from departments such as University Advancement, Donor Relations and Alumni Relations.
But even after renovations that came to a close this summer, the building still looks like it did when the school opened its doors near the turn of the 20th century.
The permit that Tufts obtained from Medford specified that the exterior of the building could not be expanded, so university officials and contractors decided to keep that part intact.
While this consideration was partly financial since less construction meant fewer costs, it also took into consideration the cultural value of the property.
"We kept the demolition scope to a minimum in order to preserve the historical character of the building's exterior," said Tufts alum Jason Karp (E '06), the Shawmut Design and Construction Company employee who worked as the project manager for the renovation.
As a result, the construction process resembled scooping out ice cream from a container. Workers left the four exterior walls, but tore out the roof and gutted the interior.
The new and the old looks featured in the building merged on Thursday as former Dame School employees and students returned for a reception.
"When I saw the students' expressions while walking through the doors, I was really touched," said Peggy Green, who works at the building's front desk. "It is wonderful to know that these children were given the opportunity to see their school completely transformed."
Current occupants are equally impressed. "This facility provides fantastic and much-needed conference space," said Alumni Relation's Senior Associate Director for Outreach and Engagement Tom Williams (LA '92), who previously worked on Talbot Ave.
"Our department usually has two to three meetings a week and we could not find the necessary space in our old location," he said.
The renovations to the 50,000-square-foot building began during the summer in 2006 and were completed this past summer.
But the project was in the planning stages well before then, as the university purchased the building in 2004 after Medford categorized the vacant school as a surplus property.
Officials then decided to use it to bring together various alumni-related offices, most of which were previously housed on Boston Ave., Talbot Ave. or in Packard Hall.
"When the Lorin L. Dame School went up for sale, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for Tufts to consolidate," Vice President of Operations John Roberto said.
Even before construction began, reactions from the community indicated that residents were happy that the old school would be put to use again, and specifically that it was going to be an administrative rather than residential building.
Roberto said that this enthusiasm has carried over.
"[The building] has become an excellent addition to the surrounding neighborhood. We have received a lot of positive feedback from the neighbors," he said.
Karp agreed.
"Prior to the construction, the building was unoccupied for two to three years," he said. "It was pretty much an eyesore on the neighborhood. Now with construction completed, it looks a thousand times better."
